Vapor electric apparatus.



P. c. HEWITT.

VAPOR ELECTRIC APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 29, 1905.

W/ TNE SSE S BYAWATTOHNEY P P. G. HEWITT.

VAPOR ELEGTRIO APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29. 1905.

1 1 ,36 1 V Patented D60. 15, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

lNVENTQl? @44 c WM B) 4 ATTORNEY STATES PATENT orrion.

PETER COOPER HEWITT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO COOP ER HEWITT ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF IiOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORAP.

TION OF NEW JERSEY.

VAPOR ELECTRIC APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

Original application filed Febrnary4, 1903, Serial No. 141,817. Continuation of renewed application filed February 23, 1905, Serial No. 246,916. This application filed June 29, 1905. Serial No. 267,527.

T 0 all whom it may c0nce1'n:

Be it known that I, PETER COOPER HEWITT, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New York, county of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vapor Electric Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in the class of devices in which an inclosed gas or vapor is employed as a portion of an electric circuit.

In certain other applications for patents, I have described apparatus devised by me for permitting the flow of electric currents in one direction while opposing a practically prohibitive resistance to the flow of current in the reverse direction;

The apparatus referred to consists, in general, of a suitable container inclosing a conducting gas or vapor and two or more electrodes. In some of its applications, I prefer to make use of a plurality of positive electrodes cooperating with a common negative electrode, although I may utilize the apparatus either as a source of light or as a means for transmitting electric currents, whether the apparatus contains multiple positive electrodes or a single positive electrode. It may be desired also to employ more than one negative electrode, and such a construction would fall Within the scope of the present invention.

In the disclosures heretofore made, the negative electrode has generally been of mercury and the positive electrode or electrodes either of mercury or iron. In order to make connection through the container with the several electrodes, it'has been customary to 'seal into the glass which generally forms the body of the container, leading-in wires supporting or making contact with the electrodes. Moreover, the container as a whole has been tightly sealed and the vapors contained in it have been circulated within the container only so far as such circulation was effected by the action of the current upon the vapors.

The present invention relates to a novel form and construction of a device of this sort, the objectbeing to provide means for keeping the device cool and maintaining the proper purity and density of gas or vapor within the container chamber, and better'adapting it to transmit currents of large quantlty. It also aims to provide means wherebv the leads from the electrodes may reach the external circuit without requiring any special sealing-in process.

The device will be described more particula rly in connection with the accompanvmg drawing in which t Figure 1 is a zigzag section illustrating one form of the apparatus together with a diagram of a working-circuit; and Fig. 2 is a similar view of another form.

Referring to Fig. 1, the numeral 1 repre sents the inclosing chamber containing a suitable gas or vapor which, for convenience, will be referred to herein as a mercury vapor. This chamber is provided with two or more tubular extensions, as 2*, 2, 2, 2 and l. The tubes 2*, 2*, 2, and 2, are here rep resented as being filled with mercury and terminating in vessels 5, 5, 5, 5, containing mercury into which the open terminals of the tubes extend. The tube 4 is likewise filled with mercury and terminates in a similar vessel, 6. The upper surfaces of the several columns of mercury are held by atmospheric pressure at the proper points within the chamber 1 to constitute electrodes, 7, 8. 9, 10 and 11. For convenience of description, the electrodes 7, 8, 9 and 10, may be referred to as positive electrodes, and the electrode 11 as a negative electrode. The terminals constituted by the mercury in the several cups or vessels 5 are electrically connected by conductors 12, 13, 14 and 15, with'the respective terminals 17, 18, 19 and 20, of any suitable source, 21, of alternating electric currents. here shown as a four phase source which may be a generator or a suitable transformer. The cup 6 is connected by a conductor, 22, through a work-circuit, 16, with the neutral point, 23, of the source.

As pointed out in certain patents issued to me September 17, 1901, in a properly constructed apparatus containing gas or vapor of the proper character, electric currents may be caused to pass from a positive to a negative electrode, while a prohibitive re sistance is opposed to the passage of current in the reverse direction. In the apparatus herein described positive currents will pass from the several positive electrodes in succession to the negative electrode when the negative electrode reluctance has been overat the bottom thereof, and thence, when suflicient mercury has collected in the pocket to overflow, it passes drop by drop into a tube, 25, leading to a vessel, 26. The tube is long enough so that the mercury column in the said tube under atmospheric pressure will leave a space at the top within which a portion of the gases or vapors from the section 24 may collect; and as the men cury drops flowdown from the pocket 30, they will carry with them some of the gases or vapors which will ultimately enter the vessel 26 and pass. out into the atmosphere at the open top of the said vessel. The action in this respect is similar to that of a Sprengelpump, and it serves to maintain a proper condition of purity and density in the gases or vapors within the chamber. The mercury thus removed is cooled on its passage from the chamber and it may flow from the vessel 26 through pipes, 27, to the several cups, 5, thus replenishing these cups as mercury is carried ofl? from the respective positive electrodes, and maintaining the said electrodes at the proper level-by the action of atmospheric pressure upon the mercury in the cups. Thus, the system described provides' not only for maintaining proper con ditions of purity and density in the gases or vapors, but also for conveying away the heat generated in the operation of the device. The vessels 6 and 26 may also be constructed to have extensive cooling surfaces, as also may the vessels 5. Moreover, the mercury columns serve as conductors permitting the passage of electric currents of large quantit into and from the device, and being capa le of being connected to the external circuit without requiring the sealing of lead wires into the glass.

The currents traversing the conductor 22 will all be in one direction, the character of this current being dependent in a measure upon the number of phases employed. The uni-directional currents thus obtained may be used for any desired purposes in a work K circuit interposed in the conductor 22,.

- Fig. 2 shows a form of my device adapted to be used in connection with a single-phase circuit. The source of alternating currents may be a single-phase generator, 40, or any other suitable source. In this figure the vessels 5, 6 and 26 are adjustably mounted, acontainer is assumed, as in the preceding instance, to be independently supported by any suitable means.

Purely for illustrative purposes, I have indicated the feature of adjustability by mounting the vessels upon screw supports 31, 31, 31, which are adjustable in a table 32, itself mounted so as to be adjustable on screw supports 33, 33. The table 32 may conveniently be of slate or other good insulating material. The same capacity for adjustability may belong to the vessels shown inFig.l. 1 T

I may make the electrode 11 the negative electrode in Fig.2 and I may provide a supplemental electrode 34, say of iron, and connect it to battery, 35, or other source of direct current, so as to maintain a flow of current toward the 3 negative H electrode through the chamber 1 It will be observed that the negative electrodell is located at an intermediate point between the positive electrodes 7, 8 on the one hand, and 9, 10011 the other. This arrangement contributes to the end of preventing short circuits between positive electrodes and is in many cases an expedient and advisable arrangement. When such a disposition of the electrodes is selected, it is very desirable to so arrange the positive electrodes that they are severally further separated from each other than the distanceby which they are separated from the negative electrode.

The claims of the present application are directed to this and other novel features of the construction.

The present application is a continuation of my application Serial Number'246 ,916, filed Februarg 23, 1905, as a renewal of my application erial Number 141,817, filed February 4, 1903.

-' I claim as my invention:

1. A vapor electric apparatus comprising a container with a condensing chamber, a liquid negative electrode and a plurality of positive electrodes therein, the negative electrode being located at a point intermediate between two at least of the positive electrodes.

2. A'vapor electric apparatus comprising a container with a condensing chamber, a liquid negative electrode and a plurality of positive electrodes therein, the negative electrode being located at a point-intermediate between the positive electrodes.

3. A vapor electric apparatus comprising. a container, a negative electrode and a plurality of positive electrodes therein, the neg-' ative electrode being located at a point intermediate between the positivelelectrodes, and the said positive electrodes on opposite sides of the ne ative electrode being more remote from eac other than rrom the negative electrode.

4. The combination of an inclosing chamher, a negative electrode therein, an inclosed gas or vapor, a plurality of positive electrodes presenting surfaces within the chamber, each of the electrodes Within the chamber consisting of a fluid column, and means for continuously supplying fresh fluid to said columns.

The combination of an inclosing chamber, a negative electrode therein, an inclosed gas or vapor, a plurality of positive electrodes presenting surfaces within the chamber, each of the electrodes Within the chamber consisting of a fluid column, and means for continuously supplying :t'resh fluid to said columns, and an outlet for excess fluid permitting a flovv of condensed vapor from said inclosing chamber.

6. The combination of an inclosing chamber, a gas or vapor therein, a negative electrode, a plurality of positive electrodes presenting surfaces Within the chamber, each consisting of a fluid column, and means for Withdrawing from the chamber the condensed vapor and simultaneously pumping out the chamber by the action of the outflovving fluid.

7. The combination of an inclosing chamher, a gas or vapor therein, a plurality of tubular extensions of said chamber, conducting fluids sealing said extensions and constituting electrodes, a supplemental extension, and means for causing a flow of fluid through one or more of the electrode extensions into the chamber, and means for passing condensed vapor through the sup plemental extension out from said chamher.

8. Means for cooling and exhausting a gas or vapor chamber containing a plurality fluid electrodes consisting of means for supplying fluid thereto through said fluid electrodes, and an independent outlet for With drawing condensed vapor from the chamber.

9. A current rectifier comprising two fluid electrodes, an inclosing gas or vapor, said electrodes comprising columns of mercury held in the proper position by atmospheric pressure, and an outlet for condensed vapor sealed by a column of mercury of such height as to balance atmospheric pressure outside the main body of the chamber.

10. In a vapor rectifier, the combination of an exhausted receptacle, a liquid negative electrode therein, a plurality of anodes therein, an insulating chamber surrounding each anode, each chamber being provided with an opening in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the surface of the negative electrode.

11. In a vapor electric apparatus, the combination of an exhausted receptacle, a liquid negative electrode therein, a plurality of anodes therein, and partitions between the several pairs of anodes for preventing arcing between the anodes.

12. A vapor electric apparatus, the combination of an exhausted envelop or receptacle, a liquid negative electrode therein, a plurality of anodes therein, and a chamber with insulating walls. said chamber having an opening therein the plane of which is substantially parallel to the direction of the arc stream in the envelop.

13. A mercury vapor rectifier comprising a completely exhausted container, a plurality of electrodes therein, including a vaporizable cathode and at least one anode, said container including two chambers, one inclosing an anode, the other receiving the mercury condensed during operation, Whereby the anode is protected from contact with said condensed mercury vvhilc returning to the cathode.

14. A mercury vapor rectifier comprising a completely exhausted container, a plurality of electrodes therein, including a vaporizable cathode and at least one anode, said container including two chambers one inclosing an anode, the other receiving the mercury condensed during operation, Whereby the anode is protected from contact with said condensed mercury While returning to the cathode, the said anode chamber having an opening to the second chamber in aplane substantially at right angles to the plane of the surface of the negative electrode.

15. A mercury vapor rectifier comprising a completely exhausted container, aplurality of electrodes therein, including a vaporizable cathode and at least one anode, said container including two chambers one inclosing an anode, the other receiving the mercury condensed during operation, Whereby the anode is protected from contact with said condensed mercury While returning to the cathode, said anode chamber having an opening, the plane of which is substantially parallel to the direction of the are stream in the container.

16. In a mercury vapor rectifier, having a completely exhausted container, means for preventing condensed vapor from coming in contact with an anode, said means COI1SlS ting of a separate chamber for receiving said condensed vapor, the opening to said cham her from the anode chamber being in a vertical plane.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York, and State of New York, this 26th day of June A. D. 1905.

PETER COOPER HEWITT.

Witnesses:

WM. H. CAPEL, GEORGE H. S'rocKBRmoE. 

